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Austin Road dump policies operator che �es By DIANNE BARTH Basso will present a plan underground water system in not found the facilities at the meeting. handling of hazardous waste San Joaquin New Service phasing out the operation and the South County area had Austin Road site to be out of Chairman Jose Alva in its operations in 1981. STOCKTON — Health limiting the Austin Road site been, and threatened to compliance with their own reported that the supervisors The lawsuit, which was Q threat or no,the controversial to other materials,to the state continue to be, polluted by regulations. do not have jurisdiction over filed in July 1982 on behalf of Austin Road dumpsite, in the Regional Water Quality leakages from holding ponds But Stockton political the matter. Rather, it is the residents in the South County near future, will no longer Control Board at a Stockton and trenches at the dumpsite. activist Dario Marenco state that has the controls. area, came after farmers accept hazardous wastes. meeting on May 27. Farmers argued that their argued before,_the Board of "I wish we had jurisdiction began to fear little or no Gregory Basso, the Basso has maintained that irrigation waters were . Supervisors Tuesday that th* but we don't," Alva said action would be taken for operator of the 157-acre he would take all steps contaminated and that state did not have strict "The authority for monitoring their protection. dumpsite south of Manteca, necessary to make sure the hazardous wastes would enough regulations to;provide is the Regional Water Quality The suit, which has not yet C,_ told the San Joaquin County dumpsite was safe,but he told eventually ruin their land. for the safety of the Control Board, which has gone to trial, called for Board of Supervisors Tuesday the supervisors that it has The litigation halted county community. Marenco urgE ;d already scheduled the unspecified damages for that his company, Foreward become an all-consuming, action, but state agencies the board to revoke the nearing'" injuries suffered by farmers. Inc., plans to get out of the tremendously expensive job. have performed tests at the Forward Inc. operatiryg Those injuries to crops and to hazardous waste business as Forward Inc.'s efforts have dumpsite and found some permit, and reminded the The Austin Road dumpsite health are irreparable for the ^� soon as possible. clearly not satisfied leakage and poor monitoring supervisors that the Farm began as a recycling center in reason that once hazardous There is a hitch as to when everyone. systems but no water Bureau had hired 'an 1973 and received a class II wastes has seeped into the the site will refuse hazardous Last year the San Joaquin degradation in the agronomist who had fount hazardous waste site permit groundwater system, there is wastes. Basso also told the Farm Bureau filed a lawsuit underground system. evidence of contamination aN in 1979. no practical method of board that he continued to against Forward Inc. seeking The Central Valley the Austin Road site. The Farm Bureau began its retrieving them,according to stay in the business to pay for to enjoin the company from Regional Water Quality "There is leakage, and, protest of the site and the that lawsuit. expensive litigation and accepting hazardous wastes Control Board advised what if there is a problem out safety improvements at the until a third party study was Forward Inc.last week that it there," Marenco said. "You dumpsite. completed. must establish a timetable for don't have control over what "Getting out of the business Prior to that litigation, the the installation of test sites, a material is dumped there but means revenues gone, but county Board of Supervisors monitoring system, sturdier you do have control over the still the long-term liability is suggested_ the same action, waste containment for a permit." there," Basso said. "It is our and Basso agreed to pay for fourth trench at the site and Since the site is involved in -ntention to phase out of the the study. The proposal was the reconstruction of solar litigation with the Farm hazardous waste business, delayed after the suit was evaporation ponds to prevent Bureau,board members have I ut litigation is expensive and filed in San Joaquin County the escape of wastes. not commented on the so is protection from long- Superior Court. Despite the state's operation but they will be term liability at the site." The suit alleged that the recommendations,they have present at the May 27